Crystal Singing Bowls
Transforming Quartz Crucibles into
Instruments for Music and Sound Therapy
— Crystal Sanctuary Archives —
In 1994, Gaudry Normand and Pauline Normand discovered the crystal singing bowls and began to sell them to customers worldwide. Here they verify an order of custom-made bowls.
Though we call them crystal vessels, they are more widely known as crystal singing bowls.
Crystal vessels can be carefully combined to create beautiful harmonic sets composed of complementary vessels..
(Photo: “749” Set)
In 1995, the Normands traveled to the Giza pyramid in Egypt, bringing with them a full set of crystal vessels. There they recorded the world's first album dedicated entirely to exploring the musical and meditative potential of this new instrument: CrystalÉnergie.
In the mid-1990s, Pauline and Gaudry Normand played a pioneering role in introducing crystal singing bowls as musical and therapeutic instruments. They coined the term “crystal vessels,” and found an interested clientele in the general public, musicians and sound therapists. This page tells the story of this great adventure and the role the crystal vessels have played in the evolution of our SonoMeditation® method.
Crystal vessels are made from 99.9% pure silica (SiO₂). This same silica is also present throughout the living world, creating a subtle bridge between the mineral and human realms. When these vessels sing, it is natural to feel that something within us responds to their vibration. Crystal vessels produce a rich, multidirectional sound that surrounds us and resonates within us: this is due to the molecular structure of quartz crystals, along with the circular form of the instrument. These rich, harmonic sounds penetrate every dimension of our being and flow through our body like a wave, bringing the relaxation of a good massage and the well-being of a good meditation (expansion, silence, fullness).
Crystal vessels belong to a long lineage of bowl-shaped musical instruments: there is the jal-tarang (an Indian instrument consisting of pottery bowls), the Tibetan bowl made of metal, musical glasses and the glass harmonica. Now there are the crystal vessels, widely known as singing bowls. In 1994, Pauline and Gaudry Normand became intrigued by the high-tech crucibles they saw at AT&T, where high-purity quartz crucibles were used in the manufacture of silicon crystals for computer chips. The Normands discovered that these crystal bowls had unique and powerful sounds, and started to purchase them from large, high-tech manufacturing companies.
The name ‘crystal vessels’ was used to designate these instruments, due to their unique ability to bring the listener to a state of expanded awareness and an experience of profound well-being. Early on, the Normands predicted they would become popular, not just as musical instruments, but also as a highly effective tool for sound therapy, energy work and meditation. They worked closely with manufacturers and promoted the crystal vessels for their sonic and musical qualities. In 1995, the Normands traveled to the Giza pyramid in Egypt, bringing with them a full set of crystal vessels, in order to record the world’s first album exclusively showcasing the musical and meditative potential of this new instrument. Between 1994 and 2019, they presented over 1,200 SonoMeditation® concerts and gave many workshops. During that period, more than 13,000 crystal vessels were sold to Crystal Sanctuary customers.
Please note: we no longer sell this product.
We sincerely thank everyone who welcomed one of our crystal vessels into their lives!